Sewing machine



July 24, 1934. B FOWLER 1,967,612

SEWING MACHINE Original Filed June 11 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. B. FOWLER SEWING MACHINE July 24, 1934.

Original Filed June 11, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented 1111924, 1934 I v SEWING'MACHINE p 7 Alfred B. Fowler, deceased, late of Beverly, Mass,

by Mary F.'Fowler, Beverly, Mass, administratrix, assignor'to United Shoe Machinery Cor- I poration, Paterson, N. J .,:a corporation of New 1 Jersey I I Original application June 11, 1926,

Serial No.

115,202. Divided and this application October 15, 1931, Serial No. 569,026

'3 Claims. ,(01. 111243 The present invention relates to machines for sewing soles to the uppers of boots and shoes and more particularly to that type known as lockstitch McKay shoe sewing machines.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved feed mechanism particularly adapted for use in a lockstitch machine movement so that the work feeding member will advance the Work a uniform amount for each stitch, and will engage the work firmly to prevent possible slippage during the feeding operation. With the construction herein disclosed, a work piercing awl is employed which is adapted to perforate the work in advance of the needle stroke and is also given a movement laterally with relation to the needle to feed the work.

With the above mentioned and other'objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a principal feature of the present invention consists in the provision of a simple and efficient positive four motion awl feed in which the awl is mounted to reciprocate in a carriage in the line of .feed to bring the awl into line with the needle and is moved downwardly to perforate the work in advance of the needle stroke, the connections for actuating the feed point and the feeding carriage being mounted on the machine frame and driven directly from the sewing shaft of the machine.

Other features of the invention consist in the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed which, together with the advantages to be obtained thereby, will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in-which Fig. -1 is a front elevation of the head of a lockstitch McKay shoe sewing machine embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of the head of the machine.

The present application is a division of applicants pending application Serial No. 115,202, filed June 11, 1926, for sewing machines, to which reference may be had for a more complete description of the machine.

The lockstitch McKay shoe sewing machine herein disclosed as embodying the present invention includes a straight hooked needle, a work supporting horn of usual construction adapted to extend within the shoe and provided with the usual whirl to supply thread to the needle, and an awl which is' given positive vertical and horizontal movements to perforate the work for the passage of the needle, and to feed the work to align the perforations accurately with the needle. The thread handling devices include a bobbin case and a loop taking hook, and an arrangement of thread locks, pullolf and take-up for the needle thread which are fully described and illustrated in the applicants pending application above referred to.

Referring more specifically to the drawings which illustrate the head of the machine, the needle is indicated at 4, the awl at 6, the 'presser foot at 8, the bobbin case and loop taking hook at 10 and 12 respectively, and the work supporting horn cooperating therewith at 14. The sewing shaft 16 of the machine is driven from a source of power 'iocated in the base of the machine through driving connections as described in the application above referred to.

The awl 6 is adjustably held in a clamp 18 on the lower end of the awl bar 20 which is mounted to slide vertically in brackets 22 on the feed slide 24. A pin 26 journalled in the upper end of the awl bar'supports a block 28 which is adapted to move in the slot 30 formed in the end of the lever 32 so that the awl bar is at all times 010- eratively connected with the lever during the back and forth movement of the feed slide. The lever 32 is mounted on one end of the rock shaft 34 journalled in the machine frame. in order to turn the rock shaft 34 and thus cause the awl to moveto and from the work, the shaft is provided at its other endwith a lever 36 which car- ..riesa cam roll 38 to engage a groove in the face of'the cam 40;

The feed slide is mounted to reciprocate on horizontal bars 42 fixed to the machine frame and is actuated from the cam 44 on the sewing shaft by means of a lever 46 having a fulcrum at 48 on the machine frame and a cam roll 50 to engage a groove in the face of the cam. A sliding connection is provided between the lever 46 and the feed slide comprising a block 52 pivthe awl has been withdrawn preparatory fpn punching another hole.

The needle is carried on the lower end of thevertical needle bar 56 which issupported by.

brackets 58 and 60 on the machine frame. A'

collar 62 fastened to the bar forms a pivotal sup-' port for the parallel links 64 which connect the needle bar to its actuatinglever 66 pivoted on shaft 68. The sleeve 70 which forms the hub of the needle lever 66 carries also the lever arm 72 with the cam roll '74 adaptedto engage a.

cam groove in the periphery of the cam 40. V The presser foot 8 is adjustably mounted in a block 76 on the lower end of the presser foot bar 78 which is adapted to slide in brackets 80, 82 and84 in the machine frame. foot bar is forced down against the work by means of the spring 86 coiled about the bar be-- tween a collar 88 on the bar and the bracket 82 the downward movement being limited by the engagement. of the nut. 92 on: the upper endof the'p'r esser foot bar with the bracket 86.

Mechanism for lifting the presser foot is providedconsisting of a collar 94 loosely mounted on the presser foot bar and containing a bearing for the cam lever 96 having the eccentric cam surface 97 adapted to come into contact Witha recessed surface 98 on the presser foot bar. The collar 94 is normally held in its lowest position resting against the bracket 82 by means of a spring 99 coiled about the presser foot bar and inserted between the 00113413 94 and bracket 80. The cam lever 96 at its outer end engages the slot 100 in the presser foot lifting lever 102 which is'adjustably clamped to the rock shaft 104 by means of a split hub and the set screw 106. Another lever 108 attached to the rock shaft carries a cam roll 110 adapted to ride on the periphery of cam 40. As the lifting lever 102 is raised under the influence of the cam 40, the cam lever 96 is turned about its pivot causing the cam surface acting in conjunction with the collar 94 to grip the presser foot bar which is lifted a uniform distance against the pressure of the springs 86 and 99 to disengage the work.

At the end of the feeding o peration, the shaft j 104 is again rocked by the cam 40, allowing the presser foot to be forced down into clamping engagement with the work. A locking device vis provided to hold the presser foot bar in clamping position which comprises a roll 112 inserted between the inclined surface 114 and a slightly recessed surface 116 of the presser foot bar and held in yielding contact with these surfaces'by means of the spring plunger '118.

In order to release the locking mechanism p're- The presserparatory to lifting the presser foot a lever 1'19 clamped to the rock shaft 120 by a split hub and set screw 122 is adapted to bear on the upper side of the roll and force it downward against the pressure of the spring plunger 118. The shaft 120 is rocked for this purpose by means of a lever 123 mounted on the shaft and .having at its outer end a cam roll 124 to engage the periphery of the cam 40.

A spring 126 stretched between a pin 128 on the lever 119 and ajpoint on the ,machine frame tends to press the roll 124 against its cam and keeps the lever. '11'9 normally out of-engagement with the locking roll 112. r

The invention having been thus' described, what is claimed is:

1. A lockstitch sewing machine having, in

combination, stitch forming devices including a straight hook needle, locking thread mechanism,

" a work supporting horn, a presser foot, a feed slide, anawlmountedon the feed slide to move towards and from the work, means for imparting to the awl uniform work piercing movements to form perforations inthe work for the needle extending completely through'the work, regardless of variations in its thickness, and means for actuating the feed slide to cause the awl to feed the work.

'2; A lockstitch sewing machine. having, in

combination, stitch forming devices including a straight hook needle, locking thread mechanism,

tions successively into alignment with the needle.

' 3. A lockstitch sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devicesincluding a straight hook needle, locking thread mechanism, a work supporting horn, a presser foot, a feed slide mounted to reciprocate in the line of feed on the frame of the'machine, an awl mounted on the feed slide'movable to perforate the work, a cam shaft, and connections for actuating the awl andthe feed slide, said connections being mounted on the machine frame and driven directlyfrom the said cam shaft to impart to the awl uniform work piercing movements to form perforations in the work for the needle extendingcompletely through the, work regardless of,

variations in its thickness, and to actuate the feed slide to bring the perforations successively V the Estat e of Alfred B. Fowler, 4 

